iPhone

A Chinese website has published pictures that they claim reflect a working model of the sixth-generation Apple iPhone. The TGBUS website posted a series of “iPhone 5” photos that they believe are authentic.

The device in the pictures matches the hardware described in previous leaks. These photos look like they’re as close to the real thing as anything else that we’ve seen so far.

As far as their source, the Italian phone blog iPhoneItalia has discovered that these pictures are 3D renderings created and posted by a Flickr user.

Everything about these photos matches previous iPhone 5 rumors. The case is thinner than that of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. The device is also noticeably taller than the other versions - to this end, all new iPhone accessories for the iPhone 5 would have to be designed to fit a rumored 4.08 inch display. Don’t get too excited yet... as none of the dimensions can be verified from the photos.

The cases for both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S are longer than the one shown in these pics - by a few millimeters in each direction beyond the wrap-around antenna. These pictures show a case that barely extends beyond the width of the antenna. There’s a smaller dock connector, a relocated audio jack, new speaker grills, a larger camera lens and an LED flash. The backside of the case shows a two-tone rear cover that appears to be aluminum and glass. The antenna matches this in color.

The folks at iFixit got their hands on a final version of Apple’s new MacBook Pro with Retina Display this week, and what did they do? They tore it apart. Here are a couple of things they found:

Samsung SSD and Hynix RAM cannot be upgraded. You’ll have to decide upfront how much capacity you’ll need over the life of your MacBook Pro.

The battery is glued to the housing and the display is fused into the assembly. Replacing the battery or the display will be expensive.

Maybe the amount of power packed into the MacBook Pro will somewhat make up for this criticism. The laptop is packing 95% of juice. That’s enough for seven hours of power. Even for some of the smartphones and tablets out there that kind of battery life is a stretch.

All music stored in your Cloud Drive can now be played on both your iPhone and iPod with a dedicated app just released by Amazon. The free app allows users of iOS devices to stream or download music stored online in an Amazon Cloud account.

Cloud Player lets you manage and create playlists, and play music already stored on your mobile devices. This initial version allows you to transfer your iTunes purchases. It won’t let you buy new tunes through the app just yet.

Amazon customers get 5GB of free cloud storage and can buy additional space, including 20GB for $20/year or 50GB for $50/year. Users who buy a storage plan receive unlimited space for MP3 and AAC (.m4a) music files at no additional cost. According to Amazon, this offer is scheduled to end soon.

The debate rages on over Apple’s insistence that its mobile and desktop platforms remain closed. The Electronic Frontier Foundation published a report calling for Apple to adopt a more open model for its iOS and OS X.

EFF calls Apple’s platforms “beautiful crystal prisons,” because they impose unnecessary limitations on its devices. EFF’s position is that Apple is hurting users by shutting out developers in the open source community. It should mimic Android’s open source model as this is part of the reason for its widespread use by so many device manufacturers.

On the other side of the argument are those who point out that Apple’s closed model is not just a benefit but one of the most important features of its mobile and desktop devices.

Eric Testorff, a Technology Coordinator in Crossville, Tennessee, points out the benefits of a closed system in the education environment. His position: “Thank God Apple is the way it is, especially with so many schools purchasing iPads. It is good that it is so difficult for kids to download and install bad Apps. Not every school knows how to police that. At least Apple does some of the policing for us. With Androids, it’s like the Wild West.”

Apple’s App Store model as provides a level of security that is appealing to businesses as well. As an IT manager at a large privately held company said in a recent interview, “When we decided to dump BlackBerry last year, we ran trials with the iPhone and with Android phones. During the first week of trials alone, I had one guy crash his Samsung from installing a bunch of poorly made software. Then someone else rooted his phone and all of his stock apps stopped transmitting data. This was just the trial; imagine what would happen if we deployed these phones to more than 200 employees across the company.”

For all the sales records being set by some smartphone manufacturers, total worldwide sales dropped by 2% since the same time period last year. Only 419.1 million units sold in the Q1 2012 versus 427.8 million in Q1 2011. This is the first time since the second quarter of 2009 that the market has shown a decline.

On the mobile accessories side... more and more consumers are protecting their valuable devices with the latest innovative protection solutions... stylish top brand bags, sleeves as well as cases and skins specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes. Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

According to Gartner Inc., lack of new product launches and users delaying their upgrades in Asia/Pacific countries are the top reasons for the drop. The first quarter is usually the strongest quarter for Asia due to its Chinese New Year. There should be some recovery coming as users in Asia look for better smartphone deals to arrive later in the year.

Android accounted for more than half of all smartphone sales, with a 56.1% market share in the first quarter of 2012. Apple’s iOS has second place with an increase from 16.9% in 2011 to 22.9%.

Samsung became the world’s top mobile handset vendor during the quarter. It took the top spot from Nokia which had been No. 1 since 1998. Samsung’s mobile phone sales reached 86.6 million units, a 25.9% increase from last year. Samsung took back the world’s No. 1 smartphone position from Apple, selling 38 million smartphones worldwide. Samsung’s Android-based smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2012 represented more than 40 percent of Android-based smartphone sales worldwide; no other vendors achieved more than a 10 percent share of the market.

The latest results are in for NPD Group’s monthly Mobile Phone Track service. It looks like Apple retails it’s top seat as the #1 smartphone vendor in the U.S.

Apple’s market ownership continues to strengthen. It’s market share increased by 7% in the first quarter year-over-year. In the past year, Apple’s iPhones were responsible for 29% of all smartphone sales in the U.S. Samsung with Its Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Samsung Galaxy Tablets seems to be the only company breathing anywhere down Apple’s neck.

Why the confusion? Many analyst interpret market data differently... in addition a giant like Apple would react fervently to any news saying that its market position has been upset

Apple and Samsung together are responsible for 53% of all smartphones sold in the U.S. LG, HTC, Motorola and RIM sales continue to fall.

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“Samsung is the only market leader from the feature phone era to transition to market leadership in the smartphone era in the U.S.,” said NPD analyst Ross Rubin. “Its broad carrier support and advertising – particularly in the ascendant pre-paid segment – have helped it achieve the highest market share among Android handset providers in the U.S.”

NPD also reported that Google’s Android operating system is the highest selling mobile platform. Android use is trending in the right direction, and it regained some of the ground it had previously lost to Apple.

Android smartphone sales grew 24% over the last quarter of 2011 to 61% of the market. Apple iPhone sales are down significantly. The high of 41% in the last quarter is now 29%, a decline of 29%.

Apple is still the People’s Phone. Regardless of what the market share number shows, Apple’s iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS still hold the top three spots in NPD’s overall handset ranking for first quarter of 2012. Samsung’s Galaxy S2 and HTC’s EVO 3D round out the top five.

Rubin tries to explain what the poll number show: “After some release of pent-up demand from customers adopting the iPhone 4S, coupled with the company’s strength in the holiday season, Apple’s share fell in the first quarter, as we’ve often see it do in the quarter following its introduction of a new handset. Now that the iPhone is available on Sprint, though, the increased carrier coverage has created a higher baseline for Apple’s share than we have seen in the past.”

The Samsung Galaxy s3 was intended to be currently on display at the Mobile World event over in Barcelona, Spain. However Samsung later opted to decline the showing at the Mobile World Congress. In a strategic move... Samsung executives have chosen wait and give the whole world one big launch date, which is yet to be announced... although reports have it set around June of this year. While we are still not sure whether this device will be launched as an unlocked cell phone or the related accessories to help protect, personalize and enhance its mobility... we do know that the Galaxy S 3 is slated for launch in over 50 major countries.

Regardless of this, it hasn’t stopped reporters getting their hands on all the specifications and features that the Samsung Galaxy s3 will have. The details have fans frothing at the mouth and word of Apple iPhone 4S and Window based Nokia Lumia phone lovers jumping ship is happening often, people are so impressed by the reports.

While one can argue that its only speculation, we need to consider that sources these days are never far off the money, if they are off at all.

Samsung Galaxy S3 specs are now the topic of discussion for the tech communities across the world. The perception that the forthcoming smart phone from Samsung will set the bar very high for its competitors to follow in the days to come seems to be true.

The following video is an excellent review of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 that whets the appetite for the highly-anticipated addition to the Android family

The new Samsung baby is going to be 4.8 inch 1024p HD Super AMOLED Plus display with a SXGA resolution of 1280 x 1024, a lot bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S2, but a tad smaller than Galaxy Note, the 5 inch smart phone from Samsun's own stable. Some sources claim that it will be a 3D display as well. In any event, we can see an advanced display from Samsung, the world leader in mobile display technology. Samsung should install a display that can really beat down the high definition Retina Display of iPhone 4S and the possible iPhone 5.

Driving this splendid device is a powerful 1.5 GHz quad-core Samsung Exynos processor zipping the process right along. There will be 2GB RAM. You read it right. Reports indicate that Samsung is to make its next gen Galaxy S as powerful as a laptop.

The hardware is encased in an ever-chic ceramic shell. For those that don’t care for the ceramic case, there is an ever growing array of protective cases and skins to personalize the device to your heart’s content. No matter your style, you will want to protect the 4.8 inch, “full HD” 1080p display to avoid damage and unsightly scratches with top brand bags, cases and sleeves.

As far as camera in the new Galaxy S3 is concerned, all indication point towards the fact that it will be substantially better than Galaxy S2 and Apple’s top selling iPhone 4S. Different sources report that Samsung will mount a 12-megapixel rear camera on Galaxy S3. The current version of Galaxy S2 has an 8-megapixel rear camera. Many recent or upcoming phones like iPhone 4S, Nokia Lumia 800, Motorola Droid RAZR and HTC Rezound are also up with 8-megapixel camera. So Samsung may make its Galaxy S3 a far powerful machine for image and video capturing.

The icing and the cherry on the cake are the 4G LTE capability and Android 4.0 OS bringing you the final touches of a smartphone that is beautifully designed and made.

Today Apple can seemingly do no wrong. But if you think back a couple of years, you will likely recall the fuss made around the iPhone4 and the unheard of design flaw that had jaws flapping. Honestly, it had been ages since the incident had crossed my mind. And unfortunately for Apple, Antennagate has reared its ugly head once again.

The silver lining for the tech darling is that this time the reminder comes in the form of a bookend on the class-action lawsuit that had been levied against Apple after the 2010 iPhone 4 release that caused some serious problems for customers trying to actually use their iPhones to speak with others. Some users noticed that when the strip along the side of the handset was covered it would result in a loss of signal and eventually a dropped call.

To stem the tide of a disgruntled public, Apple offered free Bumper cases for iPhone4 buyers. Alas, they were only available through September 30, 2010 which did not appease those who had waited in line and paid a premium for the long-awaited iPhone4 – hence, the multiple lawsuits filed against Apple.

So those iPhone customers who felt cheated because of the time limit on free bumper cases will be pleased to hear that the class-action lawsuit against Apple translates into either a free Bumper case or $15 cash to iPhone4 customers in the United States. Personally, my iPhone4 is already enshrined in the protective case of my choosing. But, the $15 cash is a great incentive to buy the new running accessories or headset I’ve had my eye on.

To claim the reward of your choice, visit www.iPhone4Settlement.com (it is not yet up and running). The website will provide information on how customers can receive their free case or get the cash in hand. In case you forget, Apple will be required to send reminder emails to iPhone4 users prior to April 30th.

Thankfully this design flaw was addressed with the iPhone 4S and the tech company continues to bring its signature innovation and style to consumers with products like the iPad that have made it the success story to date and an industry leader, not a follower.

Can you hear the Apple machine cranking? The infamous company has yet to reach its zenith for this century according to Gartner reports and financial projections of the past few weeks and its adoring public is not likely to disappoint or be disappointed.

Tablets will see an explosion in sales over the next four years, selling 60% as many units as PCs by 2015 – and Apple iPad will still have almost half the market by then, says the research group Gartner in a bullish forecast.

After delivering a surprisingly popular (and by last quarter’s earnings reports, buyable) iPhone 4S, we are more prepared than ever to see the company’s latest iPad. The iPad 3 has had rumors swirling about it for months now. Considering the slate is to be the third in a line of tablet royalty, it is no wonder that the speculation and press around the device could easily fit into the format of US Weekly. And would probably be interesting than reading about the

So when we caught wind that images of the device had been published by the Chinese language Apple Daily before the official announcement, inquiring minds needed to know just how accurate those images were considering the limited visuals that had been previously leaked. We are also keeping an ear to the ground for any news on Apple iPad3 accessories

Happily, previous reports seem in line with what was seen in the Apple Daily. The case will be familiar to iPad2 users, but has the twist: a gradual taper leading from the back to the edges. This will likely translate into new accessories needed for the new slate, but that remains to be seen.

From the spec perspective, the Apple Daily reconfirms that the iPad3 will have a 9.7-inch Retina Display and an 8-megapixel camera. With a quad-core Apple A6 processor and embedded 4G LTE connectivity under the hood, customers will not be disappointed. Apple is expected to debut the iPad3 at a press conference early March where we will hopefully hear more of plans to pair exclusively with a telecommunications carrier or if the device will be made available unlocked.

We all agree that Apple’s iPhones are iconic. They have three models on the market compared to Android’s plethora of offerings with a multitude of manufacturers including the Samsung Galaxy S II, the HTC Amaze, the Motorola RAZR Droid and the LG Optimus 2X . But, Apple’s offerings have made it one of the most valuable companies in the world and has handed its partners a brilliantly branded and easily sold product. Add great activation figures every quarter for carriers that sell the smartphone and it sounds like a great partnership for both Apple and the carriers.

Alas, the reality paints more of a love-hate relationship. Carriers see the AT&T/iPhone exclusivity model and drool. No competition from unlocked phones, other carriers, and seemingly one-of-a-kind device fits into the highly controlled model carriers prefer. This explains why Sprint was willing to guarantee Apple $15.5 billion over four years to sell the iPhone. Then the mobile carrier posted a $1.3 billion financial loss last quarter. Then there is the bad blood with T-Mobile after failed negotiations over the iPhone which has resulted in the carrier offering iPhone users free microSIM cards to give up their 3G speeds and join their network.

Recently Nomura Securities analyst Mike McCormack told CNNMoney, “A logical conclusion is that the iPhone is not good for wireless carriers […] When we look at the direct and indirect economics that Apple has managed to extract from the carriers, the carrier-level value destruction is quite evident.” This can be seen with Verizon’s drop in EBITDA service margin from 46.4% to 42.2% since adding the smartphone to its arsenal last year. Whether iPad sales and service plans can make up for that remains to be seen. However, they should be able to leverage the equally iconic and addicting Apple accessories.

Alas, for now the iPhone is not going anywhere because of news like Sprint’s: best quarter in the past six years for net subscriber additions which can be attributed to the 720,000 new postpaid subscribers who changed to the carrier to get their hands on the iPhone. And by all accounts, the money should follow with increased price points and the newest iPhone release coming this year.